Exposure to and contact with syringes contaminated with bodily fluid has become highly dangerous, resulting in the potential transmission of diseases through such contact. Thus, it has become desirable to cover the needle on the syringe to prevent accidental contact with the needle both before and after use. Procedures have been established for either capping of the syringe or disposal in such a manner to reduce accidental contact. However, even with these procedures, accidental contact continues to occur. Various caps have been designed to meet this need. For example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,05,240 to Soproni et al. there is shown a collapsible sheath covering the needle. However, this collapsible sheath is quite complex in design containing numerous bellows which allow it to retract. It also must be made of transparent material to enable one to properly maneuver the needle through the sheath for use of the syringe. Further, use of the syringe is complicated by the misalignment of the tip of the sheath with the tip of the needle.
It is an object of this invention to provide a protective needle cover which automatically shields the needle both before and after use and requires no action on the part of the user to remove or replace the protective shield for use.